Looking to buy Nuvi500 vs Zumo 550 /660

AceRider01 · 03-26-2010, 11:57 PM

Hi all,

I have ever used a simple Tom Tom on my PDA for navigation - while it's great to get me from point A to point B - it lacks advance route planning - specifically planning on a laptop computer, then load the route on to the GPS.

I have been looking at the Zumo for a while. I only do 1 or 2 big trips each year of 7-12 days in duration. paying $800-950 for a GPS is a bit hard to justify. I do use a GPS to travel to various location within the city throughout the city, but any GPS would do that. I saw the Nuvi 500 and think it's not too bad, although the lack voice output is annoying.

Here are my most important criterias:

1) Route planning - design my route using google or mapsource or import from other peoples route into GPS and for the GPS to take me on the exact route. - i never own a garmin and still a little unsure of how it works.

2) Bright screen - more important than being able to hear instructions - i also like instruction that tells me to turn left in 150m rather than on ELM st - i know where 150m is, i might have to look for ELM st.

3) I will be using the GPS for some 4WD - but i gather all garmin GPS can load Shonky map or another topo map as needed.

4)Aside from (3), i dont do a lot of off-roads in my MC - any unsealed roads are more likely to be unsealed roads than tracks.

5) recording tracks feature is nice to have but no critical for me.

Aside from the obvious differences between Zumos and Nuvi500 - can Nuvi500 do what i need as outlined above?

Any links to detail and recent comparisons of Zumo 550 and 660 if i decide to get a zumo?

Any other comments in my purchase of GPS would be appreciated.

tbirdsp · 03-27-2010, 01:02 PM

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/compare....areProduct=414

I have a Nuvi 500. Haven't used it on the bike much yet (we are just getting out of winter up here).
I also have a 60Cx which I have been using for years.

I agree it's kind of silly they didn't at least put a headpphone jack on the thing. Not a deal killer for me though.
Nuvi can do what you want - however one issue I haven't explored much is that you can't turn off the automatic route recalculation. In other words if you get off of your carefully planned route the unit will recalculate it. I think on the Zumos they added an option to turn this off.
This may or may not be an issue depending on what exactly it *does* when it recalcs. If the unit messes up your route you may also be able to just stop and restart it to get back the original. I hope to go for a ride Tuesday and test this out.
With the Zumos you can import tracks and the unit will convert them to routes. The Nuvi doesn't take tracks at all. You have to use some 3rd party software to convert them into routes first.
The Nuvi 500 does record a 10,000 point track log and I think it will archive and start another one when full.
There's no way the battery will last 8 hours as claimed, especially with the backlight turned up so you can see the screen.

So far I've been using the Nuvi 500 in my truck and I have been impressed. Especially since I got it as a refurbished unit for $150 US.

AceRider01 · 03-27-2010, 05:02 PM

thanks tbirdsp

Yep - it's obvious that garmin delibrately left the headphone jack thing out on Nuvi500 to force motrcyclist to spend extra to buy Zumo.

herengone · 03-27-2010, 05:19 PM

I bought the nuvi 550. I think the only difference is that the 550 has a memory card slot. I intend to put several different routes on it and didn't want to use up the internal memory. I recently did a 1200 mile pavement/dirt road trip with it on the drz and it worked great. I also find that about 30% on the backlight is sufficient for most riding conditions. My only problem with it is the fact that I don't know what to convert the .gpx files into to get the nuvi to recognize them.

mike

tbirdsp · 03-27-2010, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by herengone

I bought the nuvi 550. I think the only difference is that the 550 has a memory card slot. I intend to put several different routes on it and didn't want to use up the internal memory. I recently did a 1200 mile pavement/dirt road trip with it on the drz and it worked great. I also find that about 30% on the backlight is sufficient for most riding conditions. My only problem with it is the fact that I don't know what to convert the .gpx files into to get the nuvi to recognize them.

mike

The 500 has a microSD card slot too. Not sure about the Aussie version, but in the USA the only difference is that the 500 comes preloaded with City Navigator NT for the lower 49 states plus a DEM topo map overlay. The 550 comes with all of City Navigator North America NT but no topo.

herengone · 03-29-2010, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbirdsp

The 500 has a microSD card slot too. Not sure about the Aussie version, but in the USA the only difference is that the 500 comes preloaded with City Navigator NT for the lower 49 states plus a DEM topo map overlay. The 550 comes with all of City Navigator North America NT but no topo.

I should have done my homework before I bought the 550! The topo would be a nice addition.

mike

03-26-2010, 11:57 PM	#1
AceRider01 ^OP Fully Loaded Joined: Oct 2008 Location: Brisbane Australia Oddometer: 476	Looking to buy Nuvi500 vs Zumo 550 /660 Hi all, I have ever used a simple Tom Tom on my PDA for navigation - while it's great to get me from point A to point B - it lacks advance route planning - specifically planning on a laptop computer, then load the route on to the GPS. I have been looking at the Zumo for a while. I only do 1 or 2 big trips each year of 7-12 days in duration. paying $800-950 for a GPS is a bit hard to justify. I do use a GPS to travel to various location within the city throughout the city, but any GPS would do that. I saw the Nuvi 500 and think it's not too bad, although the lack voice output is annoying. Here are my most important criterias: 1) Route planning - design my route using google or mapsource or import from other peoples route into GPS and for the GPS to take me on the exact route. - i never own a garmin and still a little unsure of how it works. 2) Bright screen - more important than being able to hear instructions - i also like instruction that tells me to turn left in 150m rather than on ELM st - i know where 150m is, i might have to look for ELM st. 3) I will be using the GPS for some 4WD - but i gather all garmin GPS can load Shonky map or another topo map as needed. 4)Aside from (3), i dont do a lot of off-roads in my MC - any unsealed roads are more likely to be unsealed roads than tracks. 5) recording tracks feature is nice to have but no critical for me. Aside from the obvious differences between Zumos and Nuvi500 - can Nuvi500 do what i need as outlined above? Any links to detail and recent comparisons of Zumo 550 and 660 if i decide to get a zumo? Any other comments in my purchase of GPS would be appreciated.

03-27-2010, 01:02 PM	#2
tbirdsp REMF Joined: Mar 2002 Location: Nebraska Oddometer: 8,546	https://buy.garmin.com/shop/compare....areProduct=414 I have a Nuvi 500. Haven't used it on the bike much yet (we are just getting out of winter up here). I also have a 60Cx which I have been using for years. I agree it's kind of silly they didn't at least put a headpphone jack on the thing. Not a deal killer for me though. Nuvi can do what you want - however one issue I haven't explored much is that you can't turn off the automatic route recalculation. In other words if you get off of your carefully planned route the unit will recalculate it. I think on the Zumos they added an option to turn this off. This may or may not be an issue depending on what exactly it does when it recalcs. If the unit messes up your route you may also be able to just stop and restart it to get back the original. I hope to go for a ride Tuesday and test this out. With the Zumos you can import tracks and the unit will convert them to routes. The Nuvi doesn't take tracks at all. You have to use some 3rd party software to convert them into routes first. The Nuvi 500 does record a 10,000 point track log and I think it will archive and start another one when full. There's no way the battery will last 8 hours as claimed, especially with the backlight turned up so you can see the screen. So far I've been using the Nuvi 500 in my truck and I have been impressed. Especially since I got it as a refurbished unit for $150 US. __________________ Mike S. '09 Bonneville Black AMA MSTA STOC http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/...orcycleriders/ tbirdsp screwed with this post 03-27-2010 at 01:10 PM

03-27-2010, 05:19 PM	#4
herengone comfortably dumb Joined: Sep 2007 Location: thumb o michigan Oddometer: 87	nuvi 550 I bought the nuvi 550. I think the only difference is that the 550 has a memory card slot. I intend to put several different routes on it and didn't want to use up the internal memory. I recently did a 1200 mile pavement/dirt road trip with it on the drz and it worked great. I also find that about 30% on the backlight is sufficient for most riding conditions. My only problem with it is the fact that I don't know what to convert the .gpx files into to get the nuvi to recognize them. mike __________________ 02 drz400s (traded) 01 KLR650

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03-27-2010, 05:02 PM	#3
AceRider01 ^OP Fully Loaded Joined: Oct 2008 Location: Brisbane Australia Oddometer: 476	thanks tbirdsp Yep - it's obvious that garmin delibrately left the headphone jack thing out on Nuvi500 to force motrcyclist to spend extra to buy Zumo.